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Tourism Danger and Elections
Are countries dangerous during election? This November, European visitors are asking this question about our country. Election disruptions can be a travel issue. 20 European countries had or will have elections in 2024.
Congressional Report from the Library of Congress. Unpredictable for us travelers is that election dates are scheduled differently in each country. Some are predictable, like that of the US, others are unpredictable and can be announced with little advance notice.
Some are peaceful. Some are not peaceful. Some elections come with restrictions on what a visitor can and cannot do on election day.…
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Never done it before?
Many phone calls start with I have never done it before. I want to travel but but but. How do you get over ‘the never done it before’ bit. Think about the other ‘never done it before’ situations you conquered:
First coed dance ( camp? church? school?), you stood in the back, concerned about not getting a partner or worse, having to dance with a partner!
The worst is first appointment with a gynecologist. We all survived that.
First day of college.…
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Water Water but none to drink
Even on an inclusive trip, an extra cost can be water. A liter of bottled water in Europe averages 5 euros in a store and 10+ in a restaurant That means $100 a week to quench your thirst. When should you drink H2O from the hotel sink, when not?
Center for Disease Control Airplanes dehydrate, travel is tiring, water at meals might not appear. Most of us are shy about asking for tap water, especially while watching Europeans order the bottled stuff. …
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Be Your Own Concierge
Even in a group tour like The Women’s Travel Group, you might want to book an extra goody, with guaranteed transportation. You can use a concierge; but be aware they might get a commission and might only offer expensive suggestions.
Some apps we use in North America can be used overseas. Uber is the best example. When in another country, your Uber app works, debits your credit card with a fair US exchange rate. Not sure Uber is available? Click on the app and it will show asap if it works in say Tokyo or Bangkok.…
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Asia too Far for Senior Women?
The Women’s Travel Visits India The Women’s Travel Group shares information to help you to explore some of the most enthralling places on earth: travel to Asia.
1 Tackling, surviving and even enjoying long distance flights. Travelers are anxious before a major trip. Flying to Europe is usually at night; we know we are in for a restless partially sitting up 7-9 hours. We know we will be tired, hungry at the wrong times, awake with the moon.
There are pleasant surprises when you fly N.…
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Female Travel Insomnia
Why do women suffer from insomnia before a trip? Even experienced travelers have trouble sleeping the night before departure.
The Women’s Travel Group Some women experience travel anxiety because of bad experiences. A cancelled flight, going to the flight with an expired passport (full disclosure it was me in August 2024). Experts say most worry is not connected to specific experiences; worry rests somewhere in our grey matter.
The Sleep Foundation lists reasons for sleeplessness: fear of flying, anxiety about problems during the trip, packing, arrival time worries, motion sickness, long flights, chance of delays or interruptions, inability to sleep sitting up, dryness and germs on planes.…
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Airline App Lesson 101
How likely are senior women to load electronic travel apps on smart phones? I say: highly unlikely. Most of us are half in the modern and half in the non-electronic world. We love sending photos with phones; we hesitate to manage flights on the smart phone airline app.
Our Group in India. Save $150 on India now. Here is why it is best to learn the airline app and get on with it.
You have control over your reservation. You have easy access to the record locator or id number of your flight and its departure times.…
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Women & Packing Obsessions
I am guilty of being a perfectionist. Similarly many woman are obsessed with minutiae when they travel. Here are simple packing solutions to make you less fraught when you join The Women’s Travel Group.
The Women’s Travel Group in Ethiopia Leave home most make up. Honestly no one cares in Florence, if your skin glows less without your serum.
Wear socks twice, no one will mind; there are no socks’ police in Japan.
Tiny spot on your tee shirt? Enjoying your bistro meal on the Cote D’Azur, no one sees it.…
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Seeing the World High Up
What the Paris Olympics told me…
Some European cities are magical. From high up they are fantastical. I hate heights, but panoramas tell a story like no other. Watching the Paris Olympics made me reconsider climbing or riding to heights to catch the best views. From the air, wow’s are wow er.
Source Official Guide to Eiffel Tower. In Paris you can climb up to the basilica of Sacre Coeur for views from the highest natural point on a hill. You can climb the Arc de Triomphe for a panorama of the ladder like boulevards.…
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Rejoice with Rivers
On television watching the Olympics, we often see the curve of Seine River. The elegant buildings, islands and tree lined shores are thrilling. Why are rivers so engaging for us women travelers? They are natural, free flowing and they ‘talk’ to us about history and humanity. Below is why we love river cruises, especially those with special single rates.
As the Romans traveled North from Southern Europe, they traded, ‘married’ and fought their way, mainly along rivers. They used rivers as the best, safest routes modes, well before they built those famous Roman roads.…
